Retirement Communities in Hickory, North Carolina

CaringScore for Hickory, NC

CaringScore was designed to help millions of Americans find the best places to retire, age in place, or receive eldercare. The CaringScore for retirement communities in Hickory was based on more than 50 factors in three key categories: health, cost, and livability. By compiling and analyzing this data, Caring.com is able to rate the quality of life you or a loved one might expect should you choose retirement communities in Hickory.

A CaringScore can range from 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and provides a quick way to compare cities, counties, and even specific zip codes. With a CaringScore of 5.1, Hickory is on par with the national average for those seeking retirement communities.

The charts below highlight a few of the factors we used to calculate the CaringScore for Hickory. Choose a category score to learn more.

Physicians Per Capita

Cost of Healthcare Index

Sunny Days Per Year

HealthScore for Hickory, NC

HealthScore, a component of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Hickory, rates a region on a scale of 1 (less healthful) to 10 (more healthful). It's specifically tailored to anyone looking for retirement communities. The HealthScore for Hickory is based on the availability of healthcare resources, air and water quality, the overall health of the local population, and other key factors. With a HealthScore of 5.9, Hickory rates above average for those seeking retirement communities.

Easy access to physicians -- especially geriatricians and other key specialists -- is important to older adults seeking retirement communities. At 228.6 physicians per capita, Hickory closely matches the national average. Hickory trails the national average in geriatricians per capita by 53.8 percent, with 0.6, and closely matches the national average in specialists per capita, with 18.8. These medical specialists include cardiologists, oncologists, and orthopedists. The average life expectancy from birth in Hickory is 76.6 years -- 1.7 percent lower than most of the country. Air quality in Hickory -- one factor in gauging the healthfulness of a region -- is 62.7 percent below average, and water quality -- another key measure of Hickory's environmental health -- is 10.9 percent above average.

Doctors Per Capita	Hickory, NC	Nat'l Avg
Physicians	228.6	220.5
Geriatricians	0.6	1.3
Cardiologists	8.8	7.7
Oncologists	1.3	3.5
Orthopedists	8.1	7

Average Life Expectancy

CostScore for Hickory, NC

CostScore, part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Hickory, rates the cost of living for older adults on a scale of 1 (more expensive) to 10 (less expensive). It's specifically tailored to people looking for retirement communities. The CostScore for Hickory is based on data such as the average monthly cost of retirement communities in the region, the cost of housing and healthcare, regional tax rates, and other key factors. With a CostScore of 5.2, Hickory is on par with the national average for retirement communities.

Because of the broad range of housing, service, and healthcare options available at retirement communities, no average monthly cost data is available for Hickory. The entry fee or purchase price for an independent living community can range from $50,000 to $500,000 or more, and typically requires an additional monthly service fee of $1,000 to $3,000 on average. The cost of living indices below provide the best proxy for comparing costs of retirement communities in Hickory to the rest of the country. Overall, the cost of living for Hickory is roughly equal to the national average. Average healthcare costs are 3.0 percent more expensive than the national average, and the cost of housing is 17.0 percent less expensive than average.

Cost of Living	Hickory, NC
Aggregate Index	98
Healthcare Index	103
Housing Index	83
Food Index	100
Utilities Index	111
Transportation Index	96

Cost of Healthcare Index

LivabilityScore for Hickory, NC

LivabilityScore makes up part of the overall CaringScore for retirement communities in Hickory. On a scale of 1 (less livable) to 10 (more livable), it's a rating of the quality of life in a region, specifically tailored to those looking for retirement communities. The LivabilityScore for Hickory is based on weather, crime rates, economic factors, average age of the population, and other key demographics. With a LivabilityScore of 3.8, Hickory rates below average for retirement communities.

Weather is an important factor in choosing the best place for retirement communities. The sun shines an average of 210 days each year in Hickory, which is about average in the U.S. With an average temperature of 28°F in January, winters tend to be milder in Hickory than in other parts of the country, and summers often mirror nationwide seasonal trends, averaging 86°F in July.

Local crime rates are another important indicator. The violent crime rate in Hickory is 100.0 percent higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 150.0 percent higher than average. At $40,288 per year, the population of Hickory earns a lower than average median household income. Hickory has an unemployment rate of 10.00 percent, roughly 9.9 percent higher than the national average. And about 14.55 percent of the population in Hickory is of retirement age -- 65 or older -- which exceeds the national average by 10.6 percent.

Sunny Days Per Year

Avg Temperature (°F)

Property Crime Index

Amenities Per Capita	Hickory	Nat'l Avg
Parks	0	136.1
Libraries	5.7	18.8
Places of Worship	146.1	220.5
Public Transit	3.1	110.4
Grocery Stores	172.7	97.7
Pharmacies	31.2	13.8

Percent of Population Over Age 65